Made in Hoboken: Yo La Tengo

Hoboken has a lot of claims to fame beyond Frank Sinatra and baseball. "Made in Hoboken" is an an irregularly scheduled feature taking a look at who and what came out of the Mile Square City.

Today we'll look at what is quite likely the second-most famous musical act to come out of the Mile Square City.

Yo La Tengo is three-piece indie band that has released more than 15 albums over the last 23 years. Despite a devoted following among music critics and indie fans, it has yet to achieve widespread commercial success -- but then the fact that their fans feel they're in something of a private club is part of their appeal.

Founded by husband and wife Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley in 1984, the band's unusual name comes from a famous baseball anecdote. (They have a little fun with people who get the name wrong with the song "The Story of Yo La Tango" on their new album.)

Yo La Tengo has always been Kaplan and Hubley, with the other members changing over the years. Originally it was a four-person band, with Kaplan (voice/guitar) and Hubley (drums) joined by lead guitarist Dave Schramm and bass player Mike Lewis on their first album, Ride the Tiger.

A year later, Schramm and Lewis left the band, Kaplan became the lead guitarist, and Stephen Wichnewski joined as the bass player. This lineup released three albums, including the critically acclaimed New Wave Hot Dogs and President Yo La Tengo.

Another new addition to the Yo La Tengo library is a curious find that actually dates back to 2002. Last week, Pitchfork Media reported the British Film Institute is releasing a double-disc DVD, Science is Fiction/The Sounds of Science, containing a series of oceanographic films from French director Jean Painleve. The second disc features eight Painleve films synchronized to the music of Yo La Tengo.

Devoted fans might remember in 2002 the band released the Sounds of the Sounds of Science, which was intended as a soundtrack to Painleve films. However, the music on the DVD is apparently at least somewhat different from what was on the earlier CD. "It's a must-have for the land-lubbing Yo La Tengo fan on your Christmas list, provided you can hold off on opening it yourself before 'tis the season."

Unlike Frank Sinatra -- who often downplayed his humble Hudson roots -- Yo La Tengo is proud of its Jersey connections and in particular its Mile Square origins. Almost every review about the band finds a way to work Hoboken into the first paragraph. And the last track off their 2000 album, And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out, is called "Night Falls on Hoboken."

The band also is known for its gruelling tour schedule (July 7: Detroit; July 19: Salt Lake City; July 27: Japan; July 29: Taiwan; Aug. 3: San Francisco; Aug. 5: Chicago) and its devoted fan base. In April, the band played in New York City, to this review in New York Press:

Hoboken natives Yo La Tengo mesmerized a sold out crowd at Webster Hall Sunday night, with an eclectic set that covered material from throughout their 20-year career... And after a set of true sonic bliss, the band returned to the stage for an encore. Ira went to the crowd for suggestions, and was caught a little off guard by the unexpected request ("The Race Is On Again") of a fan wearing a Yo La Tengo shirt. That request garnered a hilarious response as a fellow fan then yelled "You rock, T-shirt Guy.

On Friday, a live performance recorded earlier in Houston will air at 2 p.m. on KPFT 90.1 FM, "Radio for Peace," and will be livestreamed on their Web site.